


Persona R: The Journey

by ChaoticEther



Series: Persona R- A Persona 3/RWBY crossover [1]
Category: RWBY
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-23 12:32:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17080397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticEther/pseuds/ChaoticEther
Summary: Something's not quite right in Remnant; there's an extra hour in the day only present to a select group of people. Blake Belladonna, a new student at Beacon Academy, is thrown into the investigation of this extra hour, spearheaded by Beacon's very own headmaster, Professor Ozpin, and a rag-tag group of students also able to use the power of Persona.





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Remarks in bold refer to other planned/completed pieces outside of this work, intended as supplementary material i.e. side stories. These don't have to be read for the purposes of the main story, but instead focus on the interactions between Blake and another character. I strongly encourage readers to, at the very least, engage in the Strength side story, due to its implications with the main plot.

**Jester Rank 1-5  
Hunger Rank 6-8**

10/09  
Blake was so entranced in her book that she failed to notice the differences in her environment as she walked to the Beacon dormitories. An eerie, purple light replaced the usual night-time tones, the only sound to be heard was the wheels of her suitcase rolling along behind her. No streetlights were on, nor were any store signs. Inspecting the plaque on the front of the building to make sure she’d arrived at the right place, no longer was anything amiss as she walked into the spacious common area. A bubbly blonde, about her age, bounced over despite the time of day.  
“Hey there! Do you know _Xiao Long_ I’ve been waiting up for you?” After receiving a blank look, the girl realised why the pun didn’t land, shooting a hand forwards in greeting,  
“I’m Yang Xiao-Long. Nice to meet you, uh…”  
“Blake. Belladonna.” She refused the handshake, instead offering an appreciative nod and lukewarm smile. Reaching for her case, she gasped as her dormmate effortlessly hoisted it over her shoulder, motioning for the new addition to follow her up the stairs in the corner of the building. Three flights later, the pair were on the girls’ floor, Blake greeted once again by a shorter, younger-looking woman with roughly bobbed red-and-black hair, just as excited as her first new encounter.  
“I’m, uh, I’m Ruby. I got moved up two years, starting tomorrow, same as you. And that’s my sister! Are you a Per-” Yang dropped the suitcase with a thud and rushed to cover Ruby’s mouth, laughing awkwardly,  
“What she meant to ask is whether or not you’re a people person. She just… Skipped the first half, yeah.” Releasing her iron grip, the sisters beamed at the new addition, expecting a response.  
“Not really. Thank you for helping me up, Yang. Which one is mine?”  
“Oh, I’ll come let you in, you need a key after all, heheh.” She picked up the pace to a half-jog to join Blake at the end of the hall, the label on the wall beside the room reading ‘Belladonna’. Yang’s face dropped its fun façade as she stood in the doorway, hesitating before throwing the key, wanting to ask one last question,  
“You didn’t see anything… Strange on the way here, did you?”  
“Strange-? Well, it was pretty late, if you mean things like _that._ ”  
“Oh, no, nothing like that. Just wanted to make sure you felt safe!” The blonde turned on her heel, tossing the key onto her bedside table without looking, pumping her other fist at the satisfying ping. Blake, exhausted from travelling to Beacon, flopped onto the bed without another word, even neglecting her diary. Lazily, she tugged at the bow in her hair, dropping it onto the floor as her ears twitched, now free for the night. _Pyjamas are for tomorrow night_ , she sighed, sleep taking over her quickly.

“Did Ozpin send her here?” Ruby questioned,  
“I don’t think so. Oz sent us a message last time, and I found out about you.” Yang sighed, “But she walked through the door during the Dark Hour. Only people with Personas can even move around during that time. I’ll get Miss Prim-and-Proper to have a word with him, see what we can do about it.”  
The younger sister let a yawn escape, reminding the pair of the time. With the first day back at school looming over them, they both rushed to bed in their best attempts to avoid being tired. Unfortunately for Yang, she couldn’t sleep knowing that girl had been wandering around on her own. Shadows mostly congregate around Beacon, but what if one had ventured out and run into her? No, that’s not how they work. Ozpin had done his best to explain it to them. After what felt like hours of trying, a light sleep finally came, though not exactly a comfortable one.

Metallic clanging and screeching startled Blake into awareness, somehow sitting on a lonely wooden chair, some distance away from what seemed like the only other figures in the room, a long-nosed man, tenting his fingers as he rested his elbows on a long table, and a young, auburn-haired girl, dressed entirely in blue, as was the rest of the room, holding what looked to be a large compendium or encyclopaedia of sorts. Lights rushed by intermittently, currently serving as the only thing keeping her eyes open and focused on the room.  
“Welcome to the Velvet Room. I am Igor.” The long-nosed man spoke up, “It would seem you are about to embark on quite the journey, and it is my duty to help you on your way. The cards indicate you have been blessed with the power of the Fool. The Wild Card. Infinite potential. Let us hope you prove to be an interesting guest.”

11/09  
Once again, the girl jolted awake, this time because of the banging on her door and shouts that she’d be late if she didn’t wake up soon. Hastily donning her uniform, she opened the door to Ruby, who then proceeded to knock on her chest twice before realising she was stood there. Still in a rush, she practically dragged Blake onto the train towards Beacon, trying her best to make small talk about their classes and failing to notice the girl’s cat ears until they were past the school gates.  
“Uh, Blake. Your ribbon, it’s, uh, furrier, than last night.” Unsure how Blake felt about addressing the topic, she chose to omit the proper words, though the comment still made her blush in embarrassment as she rushed behind a tree, returning after a few seconds with a neat bow in their place.  
“Thanks. I mean it. Faunus still have it rough on the mainland, I’d prefer not to be judged prematurely by any means.” There was a sincerity behind the curt reply, one that Ruby definitely picked up on. It seemed that Blake, while a girl of few words, was remarkably genuine with the ones she opted to say. She didn’t put up an act of being sociable, or try to be popular, in fact she was quite content with going unnoticed. Only the small matter of who and what Igor was played on her mind as the introduction day rolled by, awkwardly trailing behind Yang and Ruby as they listened to talk after talk about the expectations the prestigious school had for them.

**Death Rank 1**

After spending her time after school being given a tour of Vale by Ruby, Blake had decided to call it an early night, only to be woken by an unfamiliar, refined voice reverberating in her head.  
“Sorry for waking you up like this, Ms. Belladonna. Ms. Rose is on her way to get you and take you to the roof. You should be safe up there.”  
Sitting up, the faunus finally noticed the lilac light pouring in through her windows, The TV, which she had left on for background noise as she went to sleep, was silent, despite still being switched on. Her reading lamp was also in a similar situation, unable to investigate further as Ruby rapped on the door, practically commanding her to follow. Strangely, the girl was in an entirely different outfit to her school uniform, a black and red combat dress with matching boots, though the red hood stayed. Also, of note was the large scythe-rifle hybrid, easily twice her size, that she folded up and carried with relative ease up the last flight of stairs to the roof. Strange, ink-like creatures crawled up the building’s sides before taking on a more tangible form, arms and a mask creeping out of the pool as Ruby planted her scythe into the ground behind her, visibly shaking.  
“Just like Yang taught me. Focus on protecting my friends.” With her eyes closed, the young girl didn’t see the tendrils lunging towards her, smacking her to the ground and knocking her unconscious. In an uncharacteristic burst of defiance, Blake ducked under the handle of the scythe, pulling it out of the ground with shocking strength. After a few untrained swings that merely kept the monsters at bay, yet another different, playful-yet-sinister voice called out to her from both inside and outside at the same time.  
_You wish to protect this world? And in doing so, rebel against its very creators?_  
Blake nodded, hoping the voice could somehow understand.  
_Very well. I shall lend you my powers in your quest of protection._  
She looked back towards the creatures, eyes shining brilliant silver. She could feel the right words being fed to her, like an instinct.  
“Persona! Come forth, Cath Palug!”  
The glow from her eyes grew to flames, before separating itself and taking on a new form beside her, that of a large, mostly black cat, with white-tipped tail and paws. Looking back at its summoner, the beast lowered its front half before lunging, sending out a wave of swirling green that Blake surmised was wind magic, followed by a blast of darkness, clearing the rooftop. The cat dissipated just as easily as it had appeared, exertion hitting the faunus hard and dropping her to her knees.

That wasn’t the last of their problems for the night. A hulking, snake-like Shadow slithered up to join them, Blake only able to watch, exhausted. Beside her, a protective cry forced its way out of Ruby’s collapsed form, lifeless eyes resting below furrowed brows while she rose up. Eyes glowing as hers did, a figure similar to Ruby herself, but draped in a closed white cloak hovered behind her, copying her lumbering strides. Forcing an open palm forwards, the strange Persona blasted the creature with a beam of light, obliterating it in a single blow before Ruby collapsed once more, looking back towards the doorway as her friends piled out. Yang was joined by a white-haired girl with a matching outfit, accented by a red collar, followed by a much older gentleman wielding a cane and some of the most pointless glasses Blake had ever seen. As her classmate was taken to the infirmary by Yang, the two strangers joined her in the common area’s lounge while she slowly got her strength back, the building looking normal once more. Placing a steaming mug on the coffee table in front of her before sitting down with his own, the mysterious man pushed his glasses back up his nose before introducing himself.  
“Ms. Belladonna, my name is Professor Ozpin. Perhaps you remember me from the headmaster’s speech this morning. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, and I assure you I’ll answer any I am able to, but clearly tonight is not the time. Instead, how about I introduce you to the remaining member of my little team? This is Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Corporation.” The professor looked to the lone girl occupying the sofa, drawing Blake’s gaze with his own.

It seemed strange that such a high-profile person would be staying in dorms instead of a place of her own. That is, until she spoke up, sounding entirely disillusioned, seemingly oblivious to the streak of blood drying on the side of her face.  
“I was taught that the faunus were degenerates for most of my life.” Even in the past tense, the remark caused Blake’s face to twitch in anger. “My father’s company uses them like they’re less than human! It’s… When I finally started asking questions, he cut me off.” As the tears welled in her eyes, she jumped a little when Blake joined her on the sofa, mug in hand.  
“You stood up to him. That’s all that matters. I used to be in those protests. Until they started getting violent. We both ended up in the same place, with the same powers. That has to be for a reason, right?” Loosening her bow, she brought herself into Weiss’ field of view, making sure she saw her ears and reassuring grin. With nothing else to be said, Blake walked Weiss to her room, the latter still limping from her injuries, nodding to Ozpin that he could leave. All she could focus on at the moment was whether or not Ruby was okay. Any questions she had about Personas, or why the headmaster of the school was recruiting teenagers could wait. _If only I had these powers before Adam…_ She stopped herself from following that train of thought, still feeling a tinge of guilt over what her previous partner had done.

12/09  
Ozpin called a meeting of the three conscious members of the team later that day, expressing his want to address their concerns over Ruby and the group’s objective. Blake was the last to arrive, ensuring the door closed gently despite the only people in the dorm being present in that same room. The low table had a metal briefcase resting on its surface, clasps facing towards her as she took a seat, her peers giving muted waves in greeting.  
“You’ll all be relieved to know Ms. Rose is doing just fine. What you witnessed is a case of extreme fatigue, caused by overuse of one’s Persona. The hospital expects she’ll be awake by the end of the week.” All three breathed a collective sigh of relief, with Ozpin giving them a moment before indicating he was ready to field questions.  
“Why are you getting children involved in this?” Blake spoke up, with the others turning to the headmaster for an explanation.  
“A fair question, Blake. In truth, I had several adults working for me beforehand. Yang’s mother and uncle, as a matter of fact. I found both her and Weiss walking around during the Dark Hour, that strange time you experienced last night. I gave them a choice of fighting, and, as you can see, they both accepted.” Humming in satisfaction, Blake relaxed a little into the chair as Yang explained further,  
“Only people with the power of Persona can move about during that time. The monsters you saw are called Shadows, and we fight them with both conventional and unconventional means. Our Personas give us unique abilities too, we call them semblances. Weiss can summon glyphs to do various things, I get stronger the more I get hit, Ruby has super speed, you’ll have one too!” She looked back to the professor, hoping her rough explanation was satisfactory.  
“So what’s your goal in all this, professor? Surely, it’s more than just fighting,” Blake interjected, her curiosity piqued.  
“Of course. Beacon undergoes a strange metamorphosis during the Dark Hour. We’ve never had enough members to explore properly until you arrived. All of my scans indicate some sort of sprawling dungeon below the school. It is my intention to discover exactly why all of this happens.”  
“Then I’ll join you.” Blake interrupted, “A… former friend of mine had this power too.”  
That was all Ozpin needed to hear, nodding and pushing the case closer to the faunus with his cane. “This is more of a formality at this point. Ms. Rose is the resident weapons expert, responsible for Weiss’ weapon as well as her own. She had intended to make yours for this meeting.”  
Blake unclasped the box, finding an insert with no weapon inside, along with a new Scroll, black in colouration compared to the usual white.  
“That Scroll will work in the Dark Hour, despite its normal effects on technology. Funded by the Schnees, thanks to our very own ‘silent partner’.” The headmaster tilted his head towards Weiss, who in turn smirked, proud of doing her bit.  
“When Ruby gets back, we get you your weapon, and we go into Beacon during the Dark Hour. You in?” Yang walked over to Blake and placed a hand on her shoulder as she was leaving, waiting for the new recruit to reply.  
“Of course.”  
With a triumphant ‘hmph,’ the blonde continued on out of the room, followed by both Blake and Weiss as they tried to return to the relative normalcy of school life for the next few days.

_I am thou, thou art I, thou hast awakened to the power of the Fool Arcana.  
Fool Rank 1-Communication: Your social links can now contact you to take part in events at weekends._

**Strength Rank 1**  
**Empress Rank 1-3**  
**Magician Rank 1**

18/09  
Slowly pulled out of the daydream, Ruby became aware of the music playing through her headphones once again, looking up from the various schematics of Belladonna’s weapon that she’d made a start on out of boredom to find her sister and teammates hovering in the doorway of her hospital room. Signalling for them to sit down, she folded away the headphones and turned the pages towards Blake, who’d ended up sitting furthest away.  
“It’s a Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe! Or Gambol Shroud, since you all prefer my nicknames anyway. Quick, deadly, and with a long ‘tail’ you can use to wrap around stuff! You know, ‘cause you’re a-oh.” The young girl’s enthusiasm trailed off, only to be restored as Blake giggled, walking over to get a better look at the annotations.  
“So it’s a gun as well? Interesting.” Examining the intended use, her ears pricked up at the drawing of herself in a ninja outfit, the sword’s attached ribbon trailing behind and reminding her of a book she loved. That was when she saw that very same novel upturned on what could be assumed were the pages Ruby was up to.  
“You like to read?” The affirmative nod made Blake’s face light up, suddenly even more pleased with the weapon than she already was. “I thought it reminded me of something.” She flashed a knowing grin at Ruby, before realising the others were sat, mouths agape, at the fact someone else was just as openly infatuated with weapons and stories as Yang’s sister. The faunus flushed a bright shade of red while walking out of the room and back to the dorm, followed by the rest of the team.

Some hours later, Ruby triumphantly marched into the common area carrying the finished product, lowering herself to one knee in front of Blake and offering the weapon up. Seeing it completed, the faunus could barely hide her impressed reaction. That is, until the clock in the room began to chime for midnight. In the blink of an eye, the world had entered the Dark Hour, and with it, even the slight electrical hum from the faulty light in the kitchen area stopped. In unison, their Scrolls began ringing, Ozpin summoning them to the fashion district. All of them prepared differently. Yang punched downwards, revealing her weapons were part of the golden bracelets she always wore, pumping the shotgun-gauntlets once before springing over the sofa towards the dorm entrance. Ruby disappeared upstairs in a flash of rose petals, returning in her combat outfit, briefly letting her weapon unfold into scythe form before inspecting the sight and placing it back on her hip in compact mode. Weiss, in stark contrast to the rather unrefined methods of the others, placed the case she always carried around school onto the table, pushing a hidden button on its rear and opening it to reveal a compartment holding her sabre. Only when she noticed everyone else staring did she offer an explanation,  
“I’m the ex-heiress of a multi-million Lien company. Why wouldn’t I always be armed?” The puzzled looks she got in response caused her to huff in exasperation, stowing the sword at her waist and shaking her head as she joined Yang by the door.

_I am thou, thou art I, thou hast awakened to a further power of the Fool Arcana.  
Fool Rank 2-Cohesion: Party members now have the ability to perform team attacks._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now with a party of four, the group designates a leader and begins exploring Beacon during the Dark Hour. Unfortunately for Blake, her past seems to be catching up, in more ways than one.

“Whichever of you performs best in this mission will be given the role of team leader. I’ve detected another large shadow in the nearby area, and it’s your job to hunt it down and eliminate it.” Ozpin hovered above the ground, supported by the hands of his Persona, Princess Ozma, as he gave his speech. Ruby and Weiss smirked at each other before darting off in different directions, the former’s rifle shots ringing out in the deafening silence. Yang, on the other hand, opted to stick with Blake, walking a few paces ahead and constantly on guard. Another formless blob roamed ahead of the pair with Blake pulling Yang out of its line of sight. Using Gambol Shroud, the faunus was able to close the gap incredibly fast, slashing before the creature had time to assume its monstrous form. Surrounded by the pair, the Shadow took on the shape of a table, adorned with a red cloth.  
“No prizes for guessing what magic it uses!” Yang bantered from behind it, “Boudica!” She cried, summoning a muscular tattooed redheaded woman, armed with sword and spear. As expected, her fire spell was absorbed, distracting the Shadow long enough for a leaping punch from Ember Celica. With its attention still directed at Blake, the new recruit froze as it charged for a spell.  
_I bestow upon you the gift of shadows. Use it as you see fit._  
Cath Palug’s voice was unmistakable. As the fireball hurtled towards her, she felt a strange pushing sensation all over her body, forcing her backwards. What remained in her place was an exact replica of herself, dissipating as the spell made contact. _So, this is my semblance._ Before she could think of more uses for it, Blake was already leaping into the air, firing Gambol Shroud’s gun to launch the blade downwards and into the table. Swinging below the Shadow herself, and landing on Yang’s shoulders, the blonde fired her shotguns into the ground, spring boarding the pair onto its back, where they could attack it unfettered. Delicately leaping off as it melted into the ground once more, they shared a high five and a confident grin before being interrupted by an ear-piercing scream.  
“Weiss!” They chorused, reloading their weapons and running off once again.

Meanwhile, Ruby was determined to prove her own skill. Qrow’s training would finally be put to the test. A fair-skinned, blonde Persona produced a crossbow behind Ruby as she lined up her shot, the pair firing in unison. Hopping up and down on the spot when both connected, her energy wound up attracting an entire horde of Shadows, desperate to draw power from Freyja. After a series of clicks and metallic slides, the scythe was sent spinning through the writhing mass before being grabbed in midair and fired once more, catapulting both weapon and wielder backwards. Balancing Crescent Rose on her shoulders, Ruby straightened herself up and calmly watched as a salvo of light beams tore through the rest of the attackers. Then Weiss’ screams reached her. In a flurry of rose petals, she landed at the white-haired girl’s side, unloading more rifle shots into the elephantoidal Shadow that had charged her down.  
“Ms. Rose, wait!” Ozpin’s voice pleaded, knowing she wouldn’t be able to take it on alone. She disregarded the request, so desperate to earn the spot of leader. Her attempt failed. Despite her proficiency, Ruby could do nothing, blade and bullet bouncing off like they were rubber. Even Freyja barely seemed to be doing anything, crossbow bolts and shafts of light glancing off the monster.  
“That’s enough!” Blake boomed, asserting control over the battlefield with Yang in tow.  
“Yang, can you draw its attention? Ruby, grab Weiss and get her back here.” While she kept a polite tone with Yang, it was clear she wouldn’t take no for an answer. A fact that evidently got through to Ruby, judging by how quickly she and Weiss were beside her. The trio were soon back to full strength as the last member of their team touched down, still firing on the shadow. The others gasped as Blake summoned a different Persona, akin to a shinobi, demonstrating the monster’s adverse reaction to piercing attacks. Yang was the first to join her. Boudica launched a barrage of spears, pinning the shadow down. Ruby’s eyes widened as they worked in perfect harmony. Grabbing Weiss, the youngest member carried her into a range where Myrtenaster would be useful, winking before extracting herself and focusing her energy into powering up the others. With a final grunt, the snow queen’s sword stabbed into the Shadow’s mask, shattering it. Panting, she summoned her own Persona, Guinevere, to cast restorative magic on all of them.

The professor’s slow, appreciative applause managed to lift everyone’s spirits as he walked over to them, positively beaming.  
“Well, Blake, it would seem you’re a very special individual, even among ourselves. I think it’s best to let you all decide on your own leader, since you performed so admirably.” Of course, he knew exactly who would win that vote.  
“Blake.” Yang was the first to speak up. “She’s the only one who can use multiple Personas. It kinda makes sense that we make the unique one the leader, right?”  
“I say Blake, too.” Ruby joined her sister, receiving ruffled hair for voting with her. “She showed me what I was doing wrong, and she wasn’t condescending about it. That’s what a leader’s supposed to do, I guess.”  
Weiss was the only one to hesitate. Her eyes flicked to Yang before sighing,  
“I’m okay with Blake.”  
“And I pick Weiss.” The others all looked at their new leader, slightly bemused. “She’s the one who showed me how to beat the shadow, after all.” The girl in question responded with a light chuckle, taking her praise in stride and picking her head back up again.

_I am thou, thou art I, thou hast awakened to a further power of the Fool Arcana.  
Fool Rank 3-Leadership: Blake can now fully command party members in battle._

19/09  
Blake wasn’t entirely surprised when she blinked the lights on her alarm into focus and they read several hours into the morning. Lazily carrying herself to the kitchen for food, Ruby groaned in greeting from the breakfast bar, still in her pyjamas, same as Blake. Weiss was snoring on the sofa, having clearly made an attempt to leave for school judging by the half-buttoned blouse and mismatched socks.  
“Yang said we got the okay from the professor to skip the day. Somehow she still woke up and made it in.” The words were slurred by Ruby refusing to lift her face from the bar, but the faunus got the general idea.  
“What about Miss Schnee over there?” the leader giggled, almost finding it cute.  
“She tried, so at least she did better than us…” her teammate trailed off again, leaving her and quietly going back upstairs to get dressed so they could head out in the afternoon.

With a measure of reluctance, Yang approached the redheaded javelin star, sitting alone at lunch, for reasons she couldn’t possibly fathom. How is it that by all means the most popular girl in the school, ends up eating her meals in the courtyard, miles away from everyone else? When her footsteps caught the woman’s attention, all it did was add more layers of confusion.  
“Hello, Miss Xiao-Long, is it? We’re in the same class, correct?” So polite it almost hurt. Is she really unpopular?  
“Uhm, Yang is fine, Pyrrha. Oz-I mean, the headmaster, sent me to tell you about a change to your accommodation. The school is moving you to a private, co-ed dormitory in, uh, recognition-? Of your athletic achievement.” Clearly not used to the recruitment speeches, the blonde just had to hope it was well-received.  
“Oh… Is this the dorm you and your sister live in? I’ve always wondered what it was like on the inside. Please, tell the headmaster I appreciate the generosity.” Again, with the manners. Yang wondered if this is what all Weiss-types were like before she gets chance to normalise them. She pulled out her scroll and called the professor to tell him it was done.  
“Next time you do this, you can wait for Weiss, Oz.” She grumbled,   
“Very well. Thank you, Ms. Xiao-Long.”  
Ozpin turned his attention back to the young blonde man sitting in his office, sweating nervously.  
“Now then, Mr. Arc. Where were we? Ah yes, we were discussing you moving into the dorms.”

**Death Rank 2**  
Strength Rank 2  
Empress Rank 4  
Strength Rank 3

23/09  
Somehow, the gates to Beacon looked even more imposing at night. Like they were actually keeping something in. Despite this, the actual grounds managed to seem peaceful. The perfect place to stargaze. And Blake was doing just that, inbetween pages of her book. Her only company was Yang, who tapped her foot to the rhythm of the music she was listening to while lying beside the faunus. When the distant drums stopped abruptly, the sprawling mess of blonde picked itself up and flipped onto her side to face her partner, who was already looking back at her.  
“You think you have a type?” She asked, somewhat seriously.  
“Let’s see… Tall, blonde, funny, energetic-” Blake paused briefly, watching her teammate get flustered, “purple eyes, could easily bench like three of me, shows off her abs~?” Her bow wiggled as she laughed, stopping just short of tracing them as her friend stuck her tongue out to hide reddened cheeks.  
“So. Yang Xiao-Long. How would you describe _your_ taste in partners?” Now it was Yang’s turn to half-sigh, mostly at having the question turned back on her.  
“I’ve never really thought about it properly. For a few months I thought someone like Weiss, turns out she’s just kinda hot and not someone I’d have as a girlfriend. Love a chick with scars. Maybe not ones they got from being mauled by a Shadow.” She tugged at Blake’s bow before continuing. “Someone who’s not afraid to be themselves. At least around people they care about. See? You look so much better without the bow.”  
“Unfortunately, there are people in this world who think otherwise.” Weiss interrupted, climbing over the gate with Ruby to join them and ignoring both of their panicked expressions. The latter snort-laughed as the other half of their team stood up, pointing at the green on their clothes and skin from the freshly-cut grass.

Now they were just waiting on Ozpin. No one really knew what to expect when the Dark Hour finally came. The answer was, in fact, not much. At least from the outside. Upon stepping into the foyer, even the usual noises of the Dark Hour were inaudible, replaced by a metallic clanging from deep below. The space was easily several times wider than the school, with only a small rectangular space still attached to the entrance and surrounded on the edges by immensely tall stone arches. It seemed the only way to go was down. An elaborate spiral staircase descended from the far end of the platform, forcing the girls to go down in a single line. Even underground, Beacon was lit by an eerie glow, similar to the one outside the building, giving them ample light to explore.  
“I’m detecting multiple shadows nearby. Engage them at your own discretion, Ms. Belladonna.” Ozpin settled comfortably into his role as navigator, doing his best to map out the floors as they headed deeper still.  
“Was the professor just making this a bigger deal so we’d be cautious?” Ruby chimed in, her scythe making short work of yet another Maya.  
“Maybe he just underestimated us.” Weiss snarked, shattering a Gigas with a flurry of icicles.  
“No. He was definitely right about this being a big deal!” Yang panted as she returned, chased by a large floating statue. In an instant, their jovial attitudes simmered down into combat stances and silver eyes, all weapons pointed at the last shadow standing between them and the bottom of the area.  
“It’s weak to ice!” Oz had to shout over the chaos, prompting Weiss to attack. A spinning glyph materialised below the shadow, pulling it to the ground as she pirouetted, finishing with a flourish that destroyed the creature in a hailstorm. The next floor was much the same as the foyer, with a strange mechanism sitting in the corner that got the better of Blake’s curiosity. She jumped a little when they were returned to the entrance, not expecting the professor to be stood behind them. From a distant rooftop, a red-haired man in a mask watched them joke around.  
“She’s finally worked out how her Persona works, huh?” He signalled for the soldiers flanking him to turn and leave, time starting to pass like normal once again.

The faunus froze outside the entrance to the dorm. White Fang recruitment posters plastered all down the street, that weren’t there when the Dark Hour started. She double-checked that fact with Ruby and Weiss several times to make sure. To the others, it was just a potential enemy. To Blake, it was her past coming to destroy everything she’d managed to build in past few months. The one thing she couldn’t beat. Something where her only choice was to run. As she stared listlessly out of the window over her diary, a few gentle raps on the door elicited a resigned “come in”. Still brushing her golden hair, Blake’s guest lowered herself onto the bed, trying not to disturb its owner too much. Ears noticeably angled downwards, she acknowledged the other presence in the room by starting,  
“What we were talking about earlier. Do you… Believe in soulmates?” The question was aimed at the window, moonlight reflecting off her golden eyes.  
“I think if people want to find someone, they will. If that’s what you mean.” Both of them were skirting around the obvious; indirectly addressing Blake’s reaction. “But that making them soulmates or something? If anything, that just makes them creeps. Creeps I’d be happy to beat the snot out of for you, though!” Said with such enthusiasm that Yang could physically feel the energy of the room increase slightly. Placid smile perched back on her face, Blake began writing in her diary again before feeling a set of prying eyes over her shoulder.  
“Didn’t anyone ever teach you about privacy?” Her eyes met the blonde’s with a deadly glare, though her tone was clearly light-hearted.  
“Hey! I was just seeing if you’d drawn us in a hot, steamy makeout session yet. Both half-naked, you straddl-” The graphic description was interrupted by a pillow and the sound of the book slamming shut. “Consider that payback for earlier. I was _this_ close to bridal carrying you back to my room, you know.” With a two-fingered salute and her usual enthusiasm, Yang left, proud of being able to cheer her friend up. Turning to her page once more, she smirked, flipping one further onto detailed sketches of the team, adorned with coloured lines and team attack names.

**Magician Rank 2-4**  
Death Rank 3-6  
Strength Rank 4

30/09  
After a rather frantic call from Ruby, Weiss and Blake were the first to arrive back at the dorms. Being the only one currently armed, the snow queen was sent in first, only to lower the weapon and sigh at Ruby for making it sound like she was in danger. Perched in the armchair beside Blake’s classmate was a freckled girl, with brunette hair pulled back into a high ponytail, a suitcase resting beside her and a cup of tea balanced on a saucer in her hand. She placed the drink down and fiddled with the zipper on her jacket before looking sheepishly at the faunus, her entire body changing colours to purple and pink, much to most of the room’s surprise.  
“Ilia!” She doubled down on her stance, looking ready to pounce.  
“Blake, I-I’m not with th-them anymore. I swear!”  
“She’s really not.” Yang finally arrived, helmet under one arm, holding out her scroll showing a recording of the mysterious acquaintance fighting off the White Fang before cutting as Yang herself jumped down to join in. “Seems the White Fang can use the Dark Hour even without Personas. Which means someone in their ranks has to have one.” All attention was once again directed at the chameleon, now back to her normal colouration.  
“It’s Adam.” Everyone shifted from Ilia to Blake, save for Yang, who placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I think it’s how he gets rid of anyone who doesn’t agree with his ways. He tried it on me. But, clearly, it didn’t work.”  
Weiss huffed, throwing her sabre across the room before running up the stairs. The pair of sisters moved to follow her, only to be stopped by their leader.  
“I’ll go. You guys sort out Ilia staying here with us.” Even before going up the stairs, her tone was apologetic.

“Uhh, welcome to the dorm, Ilia! Sorry about the Ice Queen, she’s a little… Paranoid. I’m Yang, and this is my little sister Ruby!” The latter offered a muted “hello,” between sips of her drink. Still fidgeting, their latest dormmate wore her regret painfully visibly, blaming herself for Weiss’ and Blake’s reactions.  
“Do you want a weapon?” Ruby asked, bluntly, catching her off-guard.  
“I’m, heh, not sure I follow, Ruby, was it?” She replied, as confused as she was relieved that they didn’t seem too perturbed by her presence.  
“It’s kinda my thing. You don’t have a Persona or anything, so it might be dangerous for you to come into Beacon, but I have a great idea for one.” Ilia looked to Yang for clarification, but she simply shrugged, unable to entirely follow the conversation herself. “Adjustable Linked Sword Whip! It’s perfect! You guys can call it Furciferous Tongue. It’s gonna be a sabre, but with the push of a button it turns into a whip! Isn’t that cool?” Swept up in the enthusiasm, Ilia turned a vibrant orange as she nodded.  
“It certainly sounds it. I thought Blake might not tolerate me being around her again.”  
“Blake’s cautious, but she means well. The only reason she reacted like she did is because of what happened a few days ago. Looks like the White Fang know where she is.” Yang explained, wistfully. In truth, she wished there was more she could do, but without any solid leads, they weren’t in any state to make an assault. A fact that clearly showed on her face as her sister chimed in once again,  
“We’ll help Blake when she’s ready. In the meantime, why don’t I make you guys some more tea?” The offer had its intended effect, with the other two nodding politely and settling into their chairs a little more.

Weiss stewed in silence at the foot of her bed. By Blake’s own admission, she was in a situation similar to hers. Maybe that was why she felt so powerless to help. Blake had worked out as much. She tried the door handle tentatively, finding it unlocked and letting herself in. Pulling her chair out from her desk and sitting on it backwards, the faunus waited patiently as her teammate searched for the right words. Her fists clenched and relaxed several times before she finally spoke up, her voice wavering,  
“I know what it’s like to be hunted; for Gods’ sakes I’m even enrolled at Beacon under a fake name. I just wish there was something, anything I could do. I hated feeling this useless under my father, and I especially hate it now.”  
“You can be there for me when we find them.” No more, no less. No lofty expectations, or an attempt to convince her she wasn’t useless. Both of them already knew that wasn’t true. A suggestion. As a friend. They shared a hug, interspersed with sniffles before joining the rest of the team downstairs.

With the headmaster finally taking the last available seat in the lounge, he took up a more passive pose and gestured for Blake to lead the discussion. It was, after all, something she knew about to much greater detail than himself. Already positioned in the centre of the group, the faunus sat up straight and cleared her throat before explaining,  
“The White Fang are a formerly peaceful group, started with the intent of improving relations between humans and the faunus. Ilia and I were both members. My… Former partner, Adam Taurus, assumed control of the group, and twisted it into following his own ideals.” Saying it aloud still shook her to the core. She looked to Ilia, eyes asking her to finish the story as a supportive arm from Ruby found its way around her.  
“Adam, thanks to having a Persona, at least based on what you all described, can use the Dark Hour. He’s managed to find a way to bring other individuals with him, such as myself, before I left. Based on my last orders, I can tell you they’re planning a terrorist attack on the train line into Beacon about ten days from now.”  
“Thank you, Ms. Amitola. I might be the most senior member of this team, but I leave the decision to act on this intel to you, Blake. As I understand, this is a personal matter to both you and our guest. You have my support regardless of your choice.” Ozpin rummaged around in his jacket pocket before handing another key to Ilia. “We’ll also be having two new additions in the coming days who have shown the potential to become Persona users. One Pyrrha Nikos and a Jaune Arc.” Taking his leave, the new resident was swarmed by the remaining girls, laughing and hugging her.  
“I told you he wasn’t such a hard-ass!” Yang jabbed Ruby’s shoulder, lording her victory over her sister.  
“I’ve… Missed you, Ilia.” Blake added, before being overcome with a familiar tiredness.

_I am thou, thou art I, thou hast awakened to a further power of the Fool Arcana.  
Fool Rank 4- Spread Fusion: Blake can now fuse more than two Personas together._

Even knowing what to expect, the method of contact unnerved her slightly. Back in the Velvet Room, Igor drew another set of cards, mulling over them before looking up to his guest.  
“Your heart appears to be forging new bonds at an impressive pace. It will be interesting to watch the rest of your development.”  
The attendant’s book rapidly flicked through page after page, slowly arriving at what Blake could only assume was the relevant one.  
“Your efforts outside of the dungeon have been rewarded. Perhaps you will be able to advance towards the truth.” Her happy-go-lucky tone failed to convey the message with any amount of gravitas, but the faunus still scribbled what she could remember into her diary the moment she woke up, the scruffiness standing out against her usual neat cursive.

**Moon Rank 1-10**  
Death Rank 7-10  
Empress Rank 6  
Magician Rank 6-8


End file.
